High Altitude West Rounds at the NATC Championship
The high elevation and mountains of Donner Ski Ranch in California were host to the fifth and sixth rounds of the US National Trials Championship. Big boulders and loose dirt were common features on the competition loops. In the pro class, Alex Niederer and Cole Cullins both had some solid sections but each had some lapses in confidence on a couple of the lines. But they managed to battle back and come away with fifth and sixth places respectively on both days. In the expert class, Jay Gregorowicz had improved fitness over the previous rounds and rode well enough for top-ten finishes on both rounds. Team manager, Ray Peters dominated the Senior Expert Sportsman class winning both rounds on his way to earning the West Senior Expert Sportsman Championship as well as the FIM North American Expert Sportsman Championship this weekend. Sherman Smith in the Junior Expert class, finished runner-up on Saturday and used that finish to motivate him to reach the top step of the podium on Sunday. Seth Vorseth struggled to find comfort on the terrain but still was able to earn a top-five and top-ten finish between the two rounds this weekend. Pat Calhoun rebounded back from a tough Saturday to turn in a fifth-place finish on Sunday in the sixth round. Beta support rider Mark Franklin won the sixth round in the Senior Clubsman class after 36 cleans and zero points assessed from some very impressive riding on Sunday.
Results:
Alex Niederer » 5th Place / 5th Place » PRO Class
Cole Cullins » 6th Place / 6th Place » PRO Class
Jay Gregorowicz » 8th Place / 7th Place » EX Class
Ray Peters » 1st Place / 1st Place » SRX Class
Sherman Smith lll » 2nd Place / 1st Place » J-EX Class
Seth Vorseth » 5th Place / 7th Place » ES Class
Pat Calhoun » 12th Place / 5th Place » CM Class
Mark Franklin » 5th Place / 1st Place » SRC Class
EVO Factory 300
“Saturday was the first time this year that I felt like I was able to fight for a podium. After the first two loops, I sat in 4th place only 4 points from third. The third loop was a shoot-out for the pros. I started the shootout full of confidence, but unfortunately, I fived my first section after I spun on takeoff. Right before it was my turn for the second ride another rider had a big crash and got injured. This resulted in me waiting for them to clear the rider and unfortunately, seeing him crash and get hurt brought back memories of my own from 2018 and it hurt my confidence for the rest of the sections. It was however good enough to get my first top-five of the season.
On Sunday the sections were quite a bit harder and I was suffering a bit from fatigue. A couple of silly mistakes unfolded my day a little bit but we were still able to secure another top-five position and it has moved me up in the standings to fifth overall. All in all a very pleasant weekend. Thanks to Beta USA and all of the teams‘ sponsors and our team Manager Ray for doing everything to give me every opportunity to do as well as possible. My bike was absolutely ripping at 7200ft above sea level!”
EVO Factory 300
“It was a very up-and-down weekend for me in Donner. Saturday had lots of big steps that were very clean or 5, unfortunately on my first loop I was far too timid leading to lots of 5s and one of the worst loops of my career. I buckled down and manned up for the second loop and had one of the best loops of my career cutting my second loop score to 1/3 of my first. Heading into the shootout I felt good but had many silly mistakes and with the more challenging and big shootout sections, every little mistake turned quickly into a 5. Overall it was a frustrating day, but I definitely had some rides I’m proud of and some I can learn from. Sunday’s sections were much more challenging and my riding was not anywhere close to where I wanted to it be or where I know it can be. We have a few months before the last rounds in Florida and I know what I need to work on before then.”
EVO Factory 300
“I had some really good rides and felt like my fitness is back to where it should be after nursing a knee injury early this season. The sections were catered more to the big flashy hits than the technical side which I prefer. I had a great time trying to learn how to ride some of the lines and figured it out quite a bit by the end of the weekend, but not soon enough. Even though we were at high altitude, my Factory 300 never let me down and kept a smile on my face the entire time. I feel truly blessed to be part of such a great team and a huge thank you to BetaUSA and team manager Ray Peters for their ongoing support and supplying the best bikes out there! Looking forward to putting in some hard work training between now and the finals in Florida.”
EVO Factory 300 4-Stroke
“I enjoyed the sections and rode well both days. My Factory 300 EVO 4 stroke ran flawlessly all weekend. It was cool to be back at Donner and get to ride some classic section locations. Big thanks to Mike and Jason for making the trip up from headquarters to help in the pits and get the trials experience.”
EVO Factory 125
“Rounds 5 & 6 in California had some ups and downs. Going into Saturday I felt pretty good about my riding, as well as the bike’s performance at 7,000 feet of elevation. My loop scores got better and better each lap, but even though I was really happy with my last loop score, I was unable to recover from my first loop mistakes and ended up 2nd on the day. I had even more determination going into Sunday and fought for every point. My Factory Beta 125 gave me all the power needed to win, even at elevation. With my loop scores getting better and better each lap I ended the day with 59 points and first place!”
EVO Factory 250
“Rounds 5 and 6 for the NATC Nationals were different than the previous rounds. It was high elevation with big grippy rocks, and loose dirt, which is the opposite of what I ride at home. The practice area was small and crowded which made it hard to learn the terrain. I struggled all weekend trying to get in a rhythm and ride like I know how. I had a lot of 5s but also a lot of cleans. It was a low-scoring event and I struggled. My riding resulted in a 5th place on Saturday and a 7th place on Sunday the worst results I’ve had in a long time. The event gave me things to work on. I’m hoping I can step it up in Florida and get a win. Thank you to BetaUSA, my friends, and my family for all the support. “
EVO Factory 300 4-Stroke
“I had a great time at Donner! Unfortunately, the practice area was really small and crowded so I didn’t get much time in. Saturday I felt good riding. The sections were technical, but fun. The traction was incredible! Wish my scores were a bit better though. 9-8-12 taking 3 fives ruined the day for me. I woke up Sunday feeling awful and considered not riding, but I didn’t want to let Ray and the team down so I pushed through it and rode my best round yet with a 4-10-4 with only one 5 for the day, for a wrong gate. The bike ran great for the weekend. I’m feeling really confident for Florida. This has been a great opportunity, and I am so thankful for the support from Beta!”
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